Maggi row: Hundreds of contractual workers out of work

"The government has created the problem, because of which the plant is closed and it is causing a lot of problem to the people in the area", said a plant worker

Following the ban on Maggi noodles, hundreds of contractual workers at Nestle's plant in Maulinguem village in Bicholim tehsil are out of work.

A worker said the contract labourers were struggling to survive.

"The government has created the problem, because of which the plant is closed and it is causing a lot of problem to the people in the area. They are all unemployed. If they (plant administration) do this, how will we survive?" he asked.

Village head, Madhu Naik, said the Maggi controversy has landed around 600 to 700 workers in jeopardy.

The instant noodles has been embroiled in controversy after tests showed that it contained monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lead at levels much higher than the permissible limit.

Standing outside the closed plant premises, another worker, Shrikant said that with the ban on noodles, food would be a problem.

"We do not know anything. The plant has been closed for the past three-four days. We are facing problems. I am from a village in Karnataka. Since it is closed now, payment and food is a problem," he said.

"I will have to go back to my village. What will we do by staying here?" he added.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed Nestle India to withdraw nine variants of Maggi noodles found unsafe from the market and to stop the further production and sale of the same.

The order to Nestle states that the regulatory body has noted three 'major violations', namely the presence of lead detected in the product in excess of the maximum permissible levels; misleading

labelling information on the package reading 'No added MSG'; and thirdly the release of a non-standardised food product 'Maggi Oats Masala Noodles with Tastemaker' in the market, without risk assessment and grant of product approval.